Hoisting apparatus for replacing structural beams



Feb. 23, 1937 w. c. GUEST ET AL 2,071,461

HOIS'I'ING APPARATUS FOR REPLACING STRUCTURAL BEAMS Filed Nov. '7, 1932 5L 7 'jLINI ENTOR. I v v Wdaesi Patented Feb. 23, 1937.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Walter 0. Guest and Romeo H. Guest, Anderson, S. 0.

Application November 7, 1932, Serial No. 641,656

1 Claim.

In dye houses, bleacheries, cotton mills, paper mills and similar buildings, both wood beams and metal beams are subject to rapid deterioration from decay and corrosion respectively. The removal and replacement by new beams is frequently necessary, Much difliculty has been experienced in this operation for the reason that the machinery on the floor below should be kept in operation, and the old beam and new beam must be handled in such a manner as to make it unnecessary to shut down the machinery, or place protective scaffolding, or platforms, over the machinery or over the isles as protection for the machinery, goods in process, or operatives. The object of the present invention is to provide a novel hoisting apparatus whereby the replacement can be easily accomplished. The apparatus employed in carrying out the present invention is described in detail hereinafter, pointed out in 20 the appended claim, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a view showing the hoisting apparatus in side elevation, and also showing part of the metal frame of a building structure.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the hoisting apparatus.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 5 designates the upright supports of a metal frame and 6 and "I the horizontal beams resting at their ends on the upright supports. The beams and uprights are secured together by means (not shown) usually employed for the purpose. On the beams 35 is laid the flooring 8 comprising part of the superstructure carried by the frame. To illustrate the operation of the apparatus, the removal of the central beam 6 will be described.

Preliminary to the removal of the beam 6 an opening 9 is made in the flooring 8 slightly longer than the length of the beam and sufficiently wide to permit the handling of the beam. The fastenings at the ends of the beam are removed and the latter is lifted bodily from the supports through the floor opening and is moved longitudinally clear of the opening. After the removal of the original beam, a new beam is lowered through the floor opening onto the supports 5 and secured in place and the flooring is relaid.

The hoisting apparatus for moving the structural beams includes a trackway comprising an H-shaped beam I0, somewhat longer than the structural beam 6. To each end part of the beam I is secured a pair of opposite legs II, riveted at their upper ends to a saddle I2 seated on the beam and riveted thereto. Toward their lower ends the legs of each pair are inclined outwardly to provide a straddling effect. At the lower ends of the legs are the rollers I3 to facilitate the movement of the apparatus to the required position. A trolley I4 is provided to travel on the under side of the beam Ill. The lower flanges of the beam provide tracks I5 on which travel the rollers I6 of the trolley. Projecting from the under side of the trolley is a hook IT to engage the hoisting tackle I8 having a hook I9 to be engaged by the sling 20 carrying the beam to be hoisted.

In the operation of the hoisting apparatus, after the opening has been made in the flooring above the beam that is to be replaced, the apparatus is moved over the opening and the trolley is positioned above the middle part of the beam. A sling is then wound around the beam and hooked to the hoisting tackle, which is operated to lift the beam from its supports to the full line position, as indicated in Fig. 1; the normal position of the beam is indicated by dotted lines in the figure. After the beam has been lifted by the hoisting tackle, the trolley is moved along its tracks to shift the beam to be deposited on the floor clear of the opening. A new beam is then placed in the sling and the trolley is moved to position the beam to be lowered to replace the removed beam.

The hoisting apparatus herein described is particularly adapted to the purpose of replacing deteriorated structural beams by new ones. Its rugged structure permits its use in heavy work and the simplicity of its operating parts adapts it to the use of ordinary labor.

While the apparatus has been described as being applied to the replacement of a beam through a floor opening, yet it is to be understood that the replacement can be made through an opening in other superstructures, a roof for instance, positioned above the beam.

What we claim is:

In a hoisting apparatus a beam including a web and upper and lower flanges, saddles straddled about the upper flange of the beam near the opposite ends thereof, each saddle including an intermediate portion fixed transversely to the beam and of a length equal to the width of the upper flange so as to be braced thereby and outwardly and downwardly inclined end portions, and elongated straight legs arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the beam and having their upper ends fixed to the inclined end portions of the saddles whereby the legs are maintained in divergent relation with each other, and a carrier operably movable on the lower flange of the beam.

WALTER C. GUEST. ROMEO H. GUEST. 

